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The onus is now on Hazare

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI AUG. 19. The Maharashtra Government has put on the anti-corruption crusader and social activist, Anna Hazare, the onus of persuading the former Supreme Court Judge, P. B. Sawant, to take up the probe into the allegations made by and against him under the Commission of Inquiry Act.

Mr. Sawant had withdrawn his consent to head the panel announced by the Maharashtra Government after an eight-day fast by Suresh Jain, Civil Supplies Minister, demanding a probe into the various trusts run by Mr. Hazare and a nine-day fast by Mr. Hazare, demanding an inquiry into the irregularities committed by the former and three other Ministers, Padmasinh Patil, Vijaykumar Gavit and Nawab Malik.

"As Mr. Sawant backed out, taking exception to Mr. Hazare's expression of lack of confidence in a single-judge panel, it is now up to Mr. Hazare himself to bring him around," a top Government official processing the probe issue, told The Hindu today.

The three judges preferred by Mr. Hazare were P.B. Sawant, M. L. Pendse and Narendra Chapalgaonkar because he wanted someone "like Justice Chandrachud". The Government picked Mr. Sawant. In a letter to the Chief Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mr. Sawant had said that since Mr. Hazare had expressed doubts over single-member panels, he would like to withdraw, as a one-member commission.

Mr. Hazare met Mr. Sawant in Pune today, to tell him that his was one of the three names he himself suggested to the Government but that did not cut much ice with Mr. Sawant. Sources said that the former Supreme Court judge felt it was not for Mr. Hazare or anyone to name a judge.

According to Mr. Hazare, it was "all because of some confusion". Originally, Mr. Hazare wanted a three-member panel, but not before he pressed for a CBI probe as "judges can be influenced". Then he changed his mind, agreed to a one-member panel and then wanted two single-member commissions, one to deal with two Ministers and another with the other pair. About the probe into his own trusts, "it could be anyone".

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